text:
REUTERS Tuesday, 18 June 2013 09:07 PM EDT
The United States and the Taliban raised hopes on Tuesday for a negotiated peace in Afghanistan with commitments to meet this week after 12 years of bloody and costly war between American-led forces and the insurgents.
The Taliban opened an office in Doha, the Qatari capital, on Tuesday to help restart talks and said it wanted a political solution that would bring about a just government and end foreign occupation of Afghanistan.
U.S. officials said the talks would start in Doha on Thursday but cautioned that the on-again, off-again peace process would likely be messy and has no guarantee of success.
"It's going to be a long, hard process if indeed it advances significantly at all," a senior U.S. official said.
President Barack Obama said U.S. combat operations would not cease and, in a reminder that the insurgents continue to fight, four U.S. troops were killed in an attack on Bagram Air Force Base in Afghanistan, a U.S. official said later on Tuesday.
The ultimate goal of the diplomatic maneuvering is to get representatives of Afghan President Hamid Karzai's government and the Taliban into direct negotiations on the country's future. The Taliban have thus far refused such talks, calling Karzai and his government puppets of the West.
Nonetheless, the diplomatic announcements represented the first signs of optimism in Afghan peace efforts for many months, and come as the U.S.-led war effort reaches a critical juncture. The NATO command in Kabul on Tuesday completed handing over lead security responsibility to Afghan government forces across the country.
NATO plans to end all combat operations in Afghanistan by December 2014.
Obama, travelling in Europe, cautioned against expectations of quick progress, saying the peace process would not be easy or quick.
"This is an important first step towards reconciliation; although it's a very early step," Obama said after a G8 meeting in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland. "We anticipate there will be a lot of bumps in the road."
It was not immediately clear why the Taliban had agreed to resume talks with the United States, which they broke off in March 2012. The question of entering negotiations has caused rifts between Pakistan-based Taliban senior leaders and younger battlefield commanders, who oppose the move, U.S. officials have said.
In opening the Qatar office, the Taliban said it sought a political solution, but said no dates had been agreed for talks. Taliban representative Mohammed Naeem told a news briefing the group wanted good relations with "all of the world countries."
"But the Islamic emirate (Taliban) sees the independence of the nation from the current occupation as a national and religious obligation," he said.
A senior Afghan official said the Taliban was now willing to consider peace talks with the government, having held secret discussions with government representatives.
U.S. officials said that in the talks in Doha, the United States would stick to its insistence that the Taliban break ties with al Qaeda, end violence, and accept the Afghan constitution, including protection for women and minorities.
The Taliban is expected to demand the return of former senior commanders now detained at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba - a move many in the U.S. Congress oppose - as well as the departure of all foreign troops.
But the United States hopes to keep a force, of as yet undetermined size, in the country after the end of the NATO combat mission.
The peace negotiations also face skeptics in the U.S. Congress.
"Despite the remarkable progress made by the U.S. military over the last 12 years, the Taliban have regained their strength and remain unwilling to make any real commitment to cease hostilities," Senator Saxby Chambliss, a Georgia Republican, said in a statement.
"Until the Taliban confirm, not just in words but in action, that they have renounced all terrorist activity and support, we should not reward them by participating in any reconciliation efforts," he said.
U.S. officials said the initial meeting with the Taliban was expected to involve an exchange of agendas, followed by another meeting a week or two later to discuss next steps.
A U.S. official said he expected the initial meeting would be followed within days by another between the Taliban and the High Peace Council, a structure set up by Karzai to represent Afghanistan in such talks.
The U.S. officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the level of trust between the Afghan government and the Taliban remained low, and played down expectations that the talks would quickly lead to peace.
"We need to be realistic," said one official. "This is a new development, a potentially significant development. But peace is not at hand."
The peace talks have struggled to achieve results since then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton unveiled the diplomatic strategy in February 2011.
That year, U.S. officials discussed a deal that would include an exchange of five Taliban prisoners at Guantanamo for Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl, the only known U.S. prisoner of war in Afghanistan. He has been held since June 2009, and U.S. officials said they would continue pressing for his release.
But the talks never progressed, and the Taliban suspended them in March 2012, saying Washington was giving mixed signals.
Karzai, speaking on Tuesday as the U.S.-led NATO coalition launched a final phase of transferring responsibility for security to Afghan forces, said his government would send a team to Qatar. But he said the talks should quickly be moved to Afghanistan.
"We hope that our brothers the Taliban also understand that the process will move to our country soon," he said.
U.S. officials said the goal was to ensure that Afghanistan did not remain a haven for terrorist groups and to defeat al Qaeda, which was given sanctuary by the Taliban in Afghanistan.
"One of the things we will want to talk about from the very beginning is how they're going to cut ties with al Qaeda," a U.S. official said. "How quickly, exactly how they're going to do it, how quickly."
A senior U.S. official said Pakistan, which has provided sanctuary to the Taliban despite its professed support for the battle against Islamist militancy, had recently been supportive of the peace process.
"There has in the past been skepticism about their support, but in recent months I think we've seen evidence that there is genuine support and that they've employed their influence such as it is to encourage the Taliban to engage," he said.
A U.S. official said the talks would be conducted on the Taliban side by its political commission, with the authorization of its inspirational leader, Mullah Omar. The main U.S. interlocutor has been Tayeb Agha, whom Washington considers close to Omar.
James Dobbins, the new special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, will lead the U.S. side.
Also represented will be the Haqqani network, considered the United States' deadliest foe in Afghanistan. The top U.S. and NATO commander in the country cast doubt on Tuesday over whether it could make peace.
"All I've seen of the Haqqani would make it hard for me to believe they were reconcilable," U.S. General Joseph Dunford told reporters by phone from Kabul.
© 2024 Thomson/Reuters. All rights reserved.
Receive breaking news and original analysis - sent right to your inbox.
Interest-Based Advertising | Do not sell or share my personal information
Newsmax, Moneynews, Newsmax Health, and Independent. American. are registered trademarks of Newsmax Media, Inc. Newsmax TV, and Newsmax World are trademarks of Newsmax Media, Inc.


text:
April 05, 2012
Federal Reserve Board issues policy statement regarding rental of residential properties acquired in foreclosure
For immediate release
The Federal Reserve Board on Thursday released a policy statement reiterating that statutes and Federal Reserve regulations permit rental of residential properties acquired in foreclosure as part of an orderly disposition strategy. The statement also outlines supervisory expectations for residential rental activities.
The general policy of the Federal Reserve is that banking organizations should make good faith efforts to dispose of foreclosed properties (also known as "other real estate owned" or "OREO"), including single-family homes, at the earliest practicable date. In this context, and in light of the extraordinary market conditions that currently prevail, the policy statement explains that banking organizations may rent residential OREO properties within legal holding-period limits without demonstrating continuous active marketing of the property for sale, provided that suitable policies and procedures are followed.
Moreover, to the extent that OREO rental properties meet the definition of community development under the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) regulations, the banking organizations would receive favorable CRA consideration. In all respects, banking organizations that rent OREO properties are expected to comply with all applicable federal, state, and local statutes and regulations, some of which the policy statement highlights. The policy statement, in providing guidance to banking organizations and examiners, also describes specific supervisory expectations for banking organizations with a larger number of rental OREO properties, generally more than 50 properties available for rent or rented.
The policy statement applies to banking organizations for which the Federal Reserve is the primary federal supervisor, including state member banks, bank holding companies, non-bank subsidiaries of bank holding companies, savings and loan holding companies, non-thrift subsidiaries of savings and loan holding companies, and U.S. branches and agencies of foreign banking organizations.
For media inquiries, call 202-452-2955

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Learn About the Law
Get help with your legal needs
FindLaw's Learn About the Law features thousands of informational articles to help you understand your options. And if you're ready to hire an attorney, find one in your area who can help.
J. J. Crawford, for plaintiff in error.
Sol Gen. Conrad, for defendant in error. [167 U.S. 196, 197]
Mr. Justice HARLAN, after stating the facts in the foregoing language, delivered the opinion of the court.
This was an action by the plaintiff in error to recover from the defendant in error the sum of $73.08 alleged to have been paid by the former under protest to the latter, who was at the time treasurer of the United States, in order to procure the release of certain bonds, the property of the bank, which bonds, the declaration alleged, were illegally and wrongfully withheld from the plaintiff by the defendant.
The plaintiff went into liquidation in the manner provided by law on the 23d of June, 1891, and on the 25th of August, 1891, deposited in the treasury of the United States lawful money to redeem its outstanding notes, as required by section 5222 of the Revised Statutes of the United States. After making such deposit, the bank demanded the bonds which had been deposited by it to secure its circulating notes, and of which defendant had possession as treasurer of the United States. The defendant refused to deliver them unless the bank would make a return of the average amount of its notes in circulation for the period from January 1, 1891, to the date when the deposit of money was made, viz. the 25th of August, 1891, and pay a tax thereon. The bank then made a return of the average amount of its notes in circulation for the period from January 1 to June 30, 1891, and paid to the defendant $56.25, protesting that he had no authority to demand the tax, and delivered to him a protest in writing, setting forth that, in making the return and in paying the tax, it did not admit the validity of the tax, or defendant's authority to exact or collect it, but made the return and payment solely for the purpose of procuring the possession of the United States bonds belonging to it, which defendant had refused to release until such return and payment were made, and further protesting that it was not liable to the tax, or any part of it. The bank's agent then made another demand upon defendant for the bonds; but he refused to deliver them until a return should be made of the average amount of its notes in circulation for the period from July 1 to August 25, 1891, and a tax paid [167 U.S. 196, 198] thereon. Its agent then delivered such return to defendant, and paid him $ 16.83, at the same time delivering a written protest in the same form as the one above mentioned. These transactions were with the defendant himself, and the money was paid to him in person.
The journals of the house of representatives and senate of the United States for the first session of the Thirty-Eighth congress were put in evidence by plaintiff. The bank claims that these journals show that the national bank act originated as a bill in the house of representatives; that when it passed the house it contained no provision for a tax upon the national banks, or upon any corporation, or upon any individual, or upon any property, nor any provisions whatever for raising revenue; and that all the provisions that appear to authorize the treasurer of the United States to collect any tax on the circulating notes of national banks originated in the senate, by way of amendment to the house bill.
A witness on behalf of the defendant testified, against the objection of plaintiff, that the money paid by it to him was covered into the treasury, and applied to the payment of the semiannual duty or tax due from the bank. But it did not appear whether this was done before or after the present action was brought.
At the close of the evidence, counsel for the bank moved the court to direct the jury to return a verdict in its favor, which motion the court overruled, and counsel for the bank excepted. On motion of the defendant, the court instructed the jury to return a verdict for him. To that ruling of the court, counsel for plaintiff excepted.
Such is the case which the bank insists is made by the record.
The taxing provisions contained in the national bank act are found in its forty-first section. That section is as follows:
The provision relating to taxation, which, it is alleged, was inserted by way of amendment in the senate, appears as section 5214 of the Revised Statutes. Other provisions of the act of 1864 are reproduced in sections 5217 and 5218 of the Revised Statutes.
By section 5222 of the Revised Statutes it is provided: 'Within six months from the date of the vote to go into liquidation, the association shall deposit with the treasurer of the United States lawful money of the United States sufficient to redeem all its outstanding circulation. The treasurer shall execute duplicate receipts for money thus deposited, and deliver one to the association and the other to the comptroller of the currency, stating the amount received by him, and the purpose for which it has been received; and the money shall be paid into the treasury of the United States and placed to the credit of such association upon redemption account.'
In Field v. Clark, 143 U.S. 649, 672 , 12 S. Sup. Ct. 495, 497, in which the constitutionality of the act of congress of October 1, 1890 (26 Stat. 567, c. 1244), was questioned upon the ground that a [167 U.S. 196, 201] certain provision which was in it upon its final passage was omitted when the bill was signed by the speaker of the house of representatives and the president of the senate, this court said: 'The signing by the speaker of the house of representatives and by the president of the senate, in open session, of an enrolled bill, is an official attestation by the two houses of such bill as one that has passed congress. It is a declaration by the two houses, through their presiding officers, to the president, that a bill, thus attested, has received, in due form, the sanction of the legislative branch of the government, and that it is delivered to him in obedience to the constitutional requirement that all bills which pass congress shall be presented to him. And when a bill thus attested receives his approval, and is deposited in the public archives, its authentication as a bill that has passed congress should be deemed complete and unimpeachable. As the president has no authority to approve a bill not passed by congress, an enrolled act in the custody of the secretary of state, and having the official attestations of the speaker of the house of representatives, of the president of the senate, and of the president of the United States, carries on its face a solemn assurance by the legislative and executive departments of the government, charged, respectively, with the duty of enacting and executing the laws, that it was passed by congress. The respect due to co-equal and independent departments requires the judicial department to act upon that assurance, and to accept, as having passed congress, all bills authenticated in the manner stated; leaving the courts to determine, when the question properly arises, whether the act so authenticated is in conformity with the constitution.'
Referring to the above case, it was said in Harwood v. Wentworth, 162 U.S. 547, 560 , 16 S. Sup. Ct. 890, that, if the principle announced in Field v. Clark involves any danger to the public, it was competent for congress to meet it by declaring under what circumstances, or by what kind of evidence, an enrolled act of congress or of a territorial legislature, authenticated as required by law, and in the hands of the officer or department to whose custody it was committed by statute, may be shown [167 U.S. 196, 202] not to be in the form in which it was when passed by congress or by the territorial legislature.
The contention in this case is that the section of the act of June 3, 1864, providing a national currency secured by a pledge of United States bonds, and for the circulation and redemption thereof, so far as it imposed a tax upon the average amount of the notes of a national banking association in circulation, was a revenue bill, within the clause of the constitution declaring that 'all bills for raising revenue shall originate in the house of representatives, but the senate may propose or concur with amendments as on other bills' (article 1, 7); that it appeared from the official journals of the two houses of congress that, while the act of 1864 originated in the house of representatives, the provision imposing this tax was not in the bill as it passed that body, but originated in the senate by amendment, and, being accepted by the house, became a part of the statute; that such tax was therefore unconstitutional and void; and that consequently the statute did not justify the action of the defendant.
The case is not one that requires either an extended examination of precedents, or a full discussion as to the meaning of the words in the constitution, 'bills for raising revenue.' What bills belong to that class is a question of such magnitude and importance that it is the part of wisdom not to attempt, by any general statement, to cover every possible phase of the subject. It is sufficient in the present case to say that an act of congress providing a national currency secured by a pledge of bonds of the United States, and which, in the furtherance of that object, and also to meet the expenses attending the execution of the act, imposed a tax on the notes in circulation of the banking associations organized under the statute, is clearly not a revenue bill which the constitution declares must originate in the house of representatives. Mr. Justice Story has well said that the practical construction of the constitution and the history of the origin of the constitutional provision in question prove that revenue bills are those that levy taxes, in the strict sense of the word, and are not bills for other purposes which may incidentally create revenue. [167 U.S. 196, 203] 1 Story, Const. 880. The main purpose that congress had in view was to provide a national currency based upon United States bonds, and to that end it was deemed wise to impose the tax in question. The tax was a means for effectually accomplishing the great object of giving to the people a currency that would rest primarily upon the honor of the United States, and be available in every part of the country. There was no purpose by the act, or by any of its provisions, to raise revenue to be applied in meeting the expenses or obligations of the government.
This interpretation of the statute renders it unnecessary to consider whether, for the decision of the question before us, the journals of the two houses of congress can be referred to for the purpose of determining whether an act duly attested by the official signatures of the president of the senate, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the president, and which is of record in the state department as an act passed by congress, originated in the one body or the other. And, for the reasons stated, it is not necessary to inquire whether, in any view of the case, the defendant would have been personally liable for the tax collected by him pursuant to the act of congress, and subsequently covered into the treasury.
Judgment affirmed.
Mr. Justice WHITE concurs in the result.
A free source of state and federal court opinions, state laws, and the United States Code. For more information about the legal concepts addressed by these cases and statutes visit FindLaw's Learn About the Law.
Citation: 167 U.S. 196
Docket No: No. 202
Decided: May 10, 1897
Court: United States Supreme Court
Search our directory by legal issue
Enter information in one or both fields (Required)
Harness the power of our directory with your own profile. Select the button below to sign up.
FindLaw for Legal Professionals
Learn more about FindLaw's newsletters, including our terms of use and privacy policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Get help with your legal needs
FindLaw's Learn About the Law features thousands of informational articles to help you understand your options. And if you're ready to hire an attorney, find one in your area who can help.
Search our directory by legal issue
Enter information in one or both fields (Required)


text:
Columns Retired Columns & Blogs |
Great quote Charles! ZERO negative feedback is the only way to go. Keep cooking up fantastic sounding gear like the KXR -- I absolutely love my KXR + MXR combo.
The ML3 Signature runs a single Russian GM70 directly heated output tube (introduced in 1948, the year I was born) with 1200V on the plate to give 28 watts into 8 ohms. The GM70 is driven by four paralleled 6N30P "Super Tubes," with a single 12AX7 as the input stage. The choke-smoothed power supply in a separate chassis uses four 12AX3 diode tubes as a bridge rectifier to derive the high-voltage rail for the output tube, with another two 12AX3 tubes supplying DC to the front-end tubes.
Listening to Louis Armstrong singing "Blues in the Night" from LP, I auditioned the amps with no negative feedback and just 1.2dB of negative feedback. You wouldn't have thought it would make a difference, but darned if switching in even this minimal amount of feedback—which, in theory, should make the amplifier perform better—didn't diminish the enormous sense of space on the recording.
Oh, the price? Each pair of ML3 References costs upwards of $130,000 and takes two weeks to manufacture.
"darned if switching in even this minimal amount of feedback didn't diminish the enormous sense of space on the recording"It's just like Billy says: "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy."
John, You talked about the cables Kubala-Sosna but take a good look at the picture. Thick power cords going into a bus bar with small gauge wire and no name. Then into the duplex receptacle in the wall. The preamp had the same cheap power cords think of the sound there could of been if the thick power cords would of been 1 meter longer.


text:
This is part two of a two-part piece. Part one can be found here.
Seeing Is Believing
In some cases, disparate data points alone aren't enough to compel a manufacturer to action, especially when operators can't physically see the problem identified by the data. Rather, it's combining data in a way that defines root causes that offers compelling enough evidence to drive actionable improvements.
When a performance management software system at a large beverage manufacturer pointed to significant downtime in a tunnel heater machine, operators simply didn't believe the data because they didn't see the machine stop. Investigation into the process revealed the machine was stopping frequently because its heaters were undersized, an issue confirmed by monitoring the temperature inside the tunnel.
The heaters could not quite keep up with the flow of product entering the tunnel, so the conveyor stopped until the temperature increased — all within a split-second. Leveraging these objective, fact-based data points from the control system allowed the manufacturer to identify root causes and specific improvements to reduce costs.
How to Improve Efficiency
Implementing a system that will help improve efficiency and reduce costs requires not only collecting and storing the right data, but also analyzing it in a way that offers actionable, measurable process improvements. Following these easy steps can set a manufacturer up for serious savings:
- Collect and store performance data — Data should be collected from the control system and stored within a performance management software system database. Many manufacturers rely on clipboards and Excel spreadsheets to house this data, but leveraging an off-the-shelf software program will allow for deeper analysis and more impactful long-term insights.
- Collect the right kind of data — OEE data points alone can't provide a manufacturer with adequate information to determine root causes. Manufacturers should also collect data that measures production counts, scrap rates, machine cycle times, downtimes and causes, unproductive time, machine states and quality problems.
- Analyze the data — In general, OEE calculations lead managers to compare machine performance to determine whether equipment is achieving maximum production. They don't, however, answer the question of how to produce more. Analyzing a deeper level of control system data via a performance management software system allows manufacturers to begin answering questions such as: How are we doing? What are the real problems? What should we focus on first to make things better?
- Act on the data to make process improvements — A performance management software system can generate easy-to-understand dashboards that identify areas for improvement — but it cannot physically take action on the plant floor. That responsibility ultimately falls on the plant manager.
Bringing efficiencies into focus is a business imperative for every forward-looking manufacturer. Together with a sound strategy, a comprehensive performance management software system can reveal data needed to make informed — and measurable — operational improvements.
For more information, please visit www.rockwellautomation.com.


text:
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — An in-depth review of the cockpit voice recorder of Asiana Airlines Flight 214 shows two pilots called for the landing to be aborted before the plane hit a seawall and crashed onto the runway at San Francisco International Airport, the head of the National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday.
The first internal call by one of the three pilots in the cockpit to abort the landing came three seconds before the crash and a second was made by another pilot 1.5 seconds before impact, Deborah Hersman said.
The news came as the NTSB began to wrap up its investigation at the airport, where officials have begun cleaning up the debris left by the crash. Investigators turned over the runway, which had been shuttered since Saturday's crash, late Wednesday, Hersman said.
The investigation is slowly shifting back to NTSB headquarters in Washington, where authorities will work to find a more definitive answer about what led to the crash that killed two 16-year-old Chinese girls and injured more than 180 of the remaining 305 passengers.
It will likely take a year before it establishes a cause for the accident, Hersman said. But, she said, it considers the investigation a priority and can make safety recommendations before its final report if necessary.
The NTSB has declined to give a preliminary finding of cause, but investigators have said the Boeing 777 came in too low and too slow.
The cockpit recorder shows there was no discussion of the flight's speed during final approach to the airport until nine seconds before it crash-landed, Hersman said.
A preliminary review of the 777's flight data recorders shows engines and wing flaps responded as they were expected to as the plane made its descent into one of the country's largest airports, Hersman said.
The NTSB chief spent several minutes during a news conference on Thursday clarifying reports that have shown up in South Korean media, including one where the pilot flying the plane reported being temporarily blinded by a flash of light.
Hersman said the pilot at the controls of Flight 214 told investigators that at about 500 feet before crash landing, he briefly saw a bright light "that could have been a reflection of the sun," but he wasn't sure.
The pilot told investigators he did not believe the light affected his ability to fly the plane, as it didn't affect his vision and he could see inside the cockpit, she said.
Additionally, there was no indication that personal electronics, such as mobile phones, aboard the 777 played a role in the accident.
When asked about reports, citing 911 calls from frantic passengers and onlookers, that emergency personnel were slow to respond, Hersman said the investigation was ongoing.
"We are looking at all of that information. We have, really, mountains of information to go through," she said.
Shortly after Asiana Flight 214 crash-landed, passengers and witnesses pleaded with 911 responders to send help — some frantically, some insistently.
"I'm reporting an airplane crash at SFO (San Francisco International Airport)," an early witness said in calls released by the California Highway Patrol.
"An airplane crash at SFO?" a dispatcher asked.
"Yeah. We were hiking on a trail outside Pacifica, and we heard a giant explosion, and … an airplane had crashed right there at SFO."
Another caller dialed 911, thinking the response was taking too long.
"We still don't see any firemen or anything," another witness said.
"We are responding, trust me," the operator responded.
Moments before, the 777's main landing gear slammed into a seawall between the airport and San Francisco Bay, spinning the aircraft 360 degrees as it broke into pieces and eventually caught fire.
First responders were on the scene two minutes after the crash to tend to the injured, Hersman said Wednesday. About a minute later, there were firefighters equipped to douse the flames.
Those who could do so poured out of the plane in the aftermath, dialing for help as they escaped.
"We are at the San Francisco airport, and our airplane just crashed upon landing, and we think we need someone here, someone here as soon as possible," a passenger said.
The dispatcher asks: Which runway?
"I don't know what runway. We just literally ran out of the airplane."
CNN's Mike Ahlers reported from San Francisco, and Chelsea J. Carter and Ed Payne reported and wrote from Atlanta. CNN's Kyung Lah also contributed to this report.
Chelsea J. Carter. Mike Ahlers and Ed Payne | CNN


text:
I have only played the game once, but after that experience I do not see why anyone would bid on the Iron Throne track. The main advantage it offers is to go first, but I never could see a use in it. It always seems like it was best to go last, waiting to see opponents' actions. Holding the throne token also did not seem useful. Ties are not very common, especially ties involving you in particular, and unlike Dice Town, there is no material reward a player can offer you for picking them.
In my case, playing House Baratheon, it was even less useful, as being last makes Stannis more valuable.
The game is so well designed and deep that it feels like I am missing some large advantage that the track offers. What is its value?


text:
His show with Mike Davis opens Sat Jan 9th @Fecal Face Dot Gallery.
Mike Davis and Henry Lewis will be opening a show together at Fecal Face Dot Gallery on Saturday January 9th. Before Christmas we stopped through Henry's studio to have a look-see. We're giving you only a glimpse of his work as he's still wrapping up the pieces for Fecal Face - a lot of the work you see below is for another show at another date. We're looking forward to what he has in store for us.
First going to show you some of Mike Davis work. This was from a show last year at Joshua Liner in NYC.
The studio's creepy outside toliet.
Got there to find Henry getting his photo taken... always a lot of photo activity. Remember our last studio visit? Photos.
Mr Paul Urich stopped through for an adult beverage.
Henry has a nice Mike Davis.
Works in early process.
Photographer Clay Gardner also shares a studio with Henry. There are 4 artists working in the space.
He got to shot Sonny Barger of the Hells Angels... Ever read Thompson's Hell's Angels?
An older photo of Mike Davis and Henry Lewis from last year's studio visit.
Studio mate Lango who also works at The Skull and Sword
Guess the ants like something in the fridge... Yes, those are thousands of dead ants.
Epic completed painting of NAS.
Thanks for the hospitality, guys.
Mike Davis & Henry Lewis - @Fecal Face Dot Gallery January 9th - Saturday 6-9pm. {moscomment}
< Prev | Next > |


text:
Matador, £11.99
There's a particular loneliness to the January commute when, after all the office parties and family time, we stop making eye contact and slip back into our own thoughts along with our work clothes. It's the perfect time for a little shoegazing. And Hoboken indie legends Yo La Tengo are always at their most comfortable making the kind of privately beautiful, slow-motion music that invites you to sink deep into spirals of drowsy introspection before gently lifting your face back to face the day ahead. Formed by Ira Kaplan (guitars, vocals) and his wife Georgia Hubley (drums, vocals) in 1984, they've spent almost three decades getting reliably good at their craft. But they have also been so humble about it, that they're often in danger of being overlooked as part of the musical landscape – like the old tree that stands simply on the cover of the band's gorgeously Zen 13th album and also appears as the stately indifferent star in their most recent videos.
Fade opens with a gentle, train-track rattle of percussion and a rain shimmer from the keyboard before lurching into feedback-frayed momentum with a simple, repetitive guitar riff. Kaplan, Hubley and bassist James McNew sing together, like shy members of a casual, secular congregation. Their loin-girding, lo-fi mantra starts out philosophical: "Sometimes the bad guys go right on top/ Sometimes the good guys lose/ We try not to lose our hearts, not to lose our minds." But as the song builds, it takes courage, lifting the warmth, hope and even joy out of the resignation. So lines like "Nothing ever stays the same/ Nothing's explained" start as harsh truths, turn trance-like and gradually attain an enlightened glow of happy-go-lucky high spirits.
They've always had a knack for sweet, Sixties-esque melodies, and the second track Is That Enough is a string-soaked, sundae-swirl of them, balanced by the grungy buzz of Kaplan's guitar and undercut artfully by a breezy lyric about accepting defeat. The album's centre gets murkier, but sun breaks into a clear dawn on the gently picked acoustic I'll be Around and Cornelia and Jane, where Hubley's dreamlike vocal sinks into a warm swell of brass. Each thoughtful sonic soundscape washes elegantly into the next, toward the long, lush finale: Before We Run, with its propulsive, gangly-legged gait and rich, rising orchestral currents. "Take me to your lonely, distant place/ Take me out beyond mistrust," sing Kaplan and Hubley. It's like they're overcoming their shyness to hold out welcoming arms, leading us wisely and gently into 2013.
Download this Before We Run


text:
Airports are essentially just another means of transportation, but the distance covered and time it takes to travel leaves deeper impressions on people than just a simple car or subway ride. We all have at least one airport that we hold dear to heart one way or another. Whether you have an emotional connection with one, or maybe you've got hometown pride for your favorite airport, these Airport Runway Screenprints by Nomo Design will beautifully adorn your wall. Each 18 x 24" print features an international airport's floorplan screenprinted white on black French Paper Co. paper. Two dollars of every Runway Poster sold goes to the Challenge Air Program, a program that builds self-esteem and confidence of children and youth with specials needs, through the experience of flight.
Available from NOMO Shop, 26.00.


text:
© ® The Nobel Foundation IPCC honoured with the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize
IPCC Phone: +41-22-730-8208/84 e-mail: email@example.com
Coal remains one of the major global and long-term energy resources and is likely to continue being so as long as economically exploitable reserves are widely available. Though its relative importance has declined in industrialized countries during the last century, mainly as a result of the advent of oil and gas, 36% of world electricity is generated from coal and 70% of world steel is produced using coal and coke. Global hard coal production in 1998 was about 3,750Mt, mostly used to generate electricity, with reserves estimated at in excess of 1000 billion tonnes (WCI, 1999; IEA, 1998b, 1999). The dependence on coal use in electricity generation in developing countries is expected to continue. Depending on the efficiency of this power generation and the degree of substitution for direct coal combustion, fuel substitution can assist in reducing GHG emissions, for example when electrification reduces coal use by households (see Held et al., 1996; Shackleton et al., 1996; and Lennon et al., 1994 for a discussion of the South African electrification programme).
The Special Report on Emissions Scenarios (Nakicenovic et al., 2000) suggests that there is a very large range in the global primary energy demand expected to come from coal even in the absence of additional climate change policy initiatives. For example, in 2100, scenario A2 has a coal demand of some 900EJ, but scenario B1 has only 44EJ (the 1990 level is estimated to be 85-100EJ).
GHG mitigation is expected to lead to a decline in coal output relative to a reference case, especially in Annex B countries. Indeed the process may have already started; recent trends in coal consumption indicate a 4% reduction in OECD countries and a 12.5% increase in the rest of the world in 1997 versus 1987 (WCI, 1999). The process may lead to higher costs, especially if the change is rapid, but there are also substantial ancillary benefits. Chapter 3 discusses the wide variety of mitigation options that exist for the production and use of coal. These involve reducing emissions directly from the coal mining process, replacing coal with other energy sources or reducing coal utilization (directly through efficiency of coal combustion or indirectly via the more efficient use of secondary energy supplies).
Some of the options detailed in Chapter 3 could represent a win-win situation for GHG mitigation and the coal sector. For example, GHG mitigation can be achieved by reducing the coal sectors own energy consumption, beneficiation and coal-bed CH4 recovery, whilst maintaining coal production. Other options have clear, but often non-quantifiable, costs and/or ancillary benefits attached to them. The study Asia least-cost GHG abatement strategy (ALGAS)-India (ADB-GEF-UNDP, 1998a) reports that Indian CO2 abatement would be primarily achieved by fuel switching and, to some extent, by a shift to more expensive but more efficient technologies. The most affected sector is coal as its consumption is modelled to decrease in power generation, followed by the industrial and residential sectors. The study concludes that this could lead to a significant reduction in labour employment in the coal sector. For China, using a dynamic linear programming model, Rose et al. (1996) find that CO2 emissions may be reduced substantially by conserving energy and switching away from coal, without hindering future economic development.
Apart from the direct loss of output there are numerous other costs for the coal sector associated with mitigation. These costs relate mainly to the impact of the long-term reduction in coal consumption and hence coal production. In the short to medium term, these impacts will be moderate as global coal consumption is anticipated to continue to increase, albeit at a lower rate. Whilst limited work has been undertaken in this area, macro impacts identified by the IEA (1997a and 1999) and the WCI (1999) include:
Kamat et al. (1999) modelled the impact of a carbon tax on the economy of a geographically defined coal-based region, namely the Susquehanna River Basin in the USA. Their results indicated that maintaining 1990 emissions with a carbon tax of about US$17 per tonne of carbon could have a minor impact on the economy as a whole, however, the negative impacts on the energy sector could be considerable. In this regard the model indicates a decrease in total output of the coal sector of approximately 58%. Exports are also severely affected with resultant production cutbacks and job losses.
At the global level, Bartsch and Müller (2000) report results that suggest a significant reduction in the OECDs demand for coal under a Kyoto-style scenario against a baseline scenario. Coal demand is modelled to fall by 4.4mtoe3 per day from this baseline in 2010 and 2020. Knapp (2000) indicates a substantial potential for relocation of the steel industry from Annex B countries to the rest of the world as coal becomes more expensive. Whilst compromising overall emission reduction objectives, this could be viewed as a positive equity contribution with economic benefits for non-Annex B countries. Knapp also indicates that the reduction in coal exports to Annex B countries for thermal power generation will severely impact some coal-exporting countries. In particular Colombia, Indonesia, and South Africa will incur substantial losses in export income with attendant job and revenue losses. These costs might, to an extent, be reduced through the use of the Kyoto CDM and technological innovation. The CDM might, for example, be used to transfer highly efficient clean coal technology to non-Annex B countries, as well as promote economic diversification to less energy-intensive economic activity and the relocation of energy-intensive industries. To achieve full benefits the latter would have to be accompanied by efficiency improvements through the application of state of the art technology.
Pershing (2000) notes that internal economic growth could offset the negative export impacts within 5 years for Colombia and Indonesia, but not for South Africa. In this regard he reports that South Africa could feel the greatest impacts of the major non-Annex B coal-exporting countries. In particular, he forecasts revenue losses for Indonesia and South Africa as being as high as 1% and 4% of gross national product (GNP) respectively. Dunn (2000) reports that the coal industry has been shedding jobs for several years now and this trend is likely to continue in the coal industry as GHG mitigation actions take effect. Pershing (2000), however, suggests that such impacts may not materialize as a result of the implementation of the Climate Convention or Kyoto Protocol commitments. For example, most projections are based on the use of macroeconomic models - most of which do not take into account fossil fuel distribution effects at the national level, or the use of CO2 sinks or non-CO2 GHG mitigation options. Pershing also suggests that some of these impacts may be offset by other aspects of future energy and development paths. For example, in a world in which climate change mitigation policies have been taken, investment in non-conventional oil supply might be deferred - lowering the impacts on conventional fuel exporters.
Table of contents
IPCC Homepage


text:
When you wear your clothes for a long time, they tend to wear and fray. You never know when that extra slice of pie will burst a button and you will need a handy way of repairing them on the spot. So, prepare clients, customers, and yourself by giving them custom printed promotional sewing kits! Each of these customized sewing kits has all the tools needed to repair their clothing when the need arises. One of the best parts about personalized logo sewing kits is that they are compact, so recipients can easily carry them around all day!
At IASpromotes.com, we stock many different styles of custom promotional sewing kits for customization. These small, useful promotional products are a great giveaway item when personalized with your imprinted corporate logo and name. No matter where you are, you can always repair small tears and avoid a sloppy appearance with a promotional sewing kit on hand. Contact us today to start your order!


text:
Shea nuts appear safe in allergy study
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Shea butter is in everything from diaper cream to tissue paper, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration considers shea nuts — from which the butter derives – to be tree nuts, and therefore potential allergens. A new study suggests, however, that shea butter poses little, if any, allergy risk to people who use products containing the substance.
The allergy triggers in other tree nuts and in peanuts are proteins. For nearly two million Americans, the immune system recognizes those proteins as harmful and launches an attack to rid the body of the molecules. If the assault is severe enough, the result can be an anaphylactic reaction marked by potentially deadly failure of the airways, although the number of deaths in the U.S. linked to nut allergies is small — about a dozen annually.
Dr. Kanwaljit K. Chawla, a pediatrician in training at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City, said she became curious about the potential for shea butter to trigger nut allergies while researching the safety of baby products.
"I was looking up baby products and realized that many of the 'natural' or 'organic' products contained shea butter, including wipes, diaper creams, baby lotion and nipple cream for breastfeeding mothers. I saw that the FDA listed shea nut as something to avoid if you are allergic to tree nuts," Chawla said. "But shea nut is in everything. How is it possible to avoid it?"
Shea nuts are mostly fat, but Chawla and her colleagues decided to see if they could extract any proteins from the nuts and whether those shea proteins would provoke an immune response.
The researchers first separated out the fat from shea nuts and were left with a miniscule amount of protein, less than 1/30th the amount present in cashews and less still than that in peanuts.
Even trace amounts of nut proteins can still pose problems for people susceptible to the substances, so Chawla's group tested the ability of shea protein to trigger an immune reaction. Using blood taken from several volunteers with known allergies to nuts, the researchers found that the principle immune molecule that would usually invoke an allergic response, immunoglobulin E, barely bound to the shea protein.
In other words, Chawla said, although shea nut in theory could be an allergy trigger, the evidence from her study suggests it's not. At least the immune system does not appear to recognize it as a nut protein.
What's more, since Americans typically don't eat shea butter — it can be an ingredient in European chocolates — the risk is likely even smaller, Chawla added.
The researchers reported their findings as a letter to the editor in the latest issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
Dr. Robert Wood, director of pediatric allergy at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, said the study provided "very useful information" for both doctors and patients. "While we would never say no one's going to be allergic to shea nut butter, it appears that people with other nut allergies should not be at higher risk from shea nuts," Dr. Wood said.
- ^ link.reuters.com/qek43r (link.reuters.com)


text:
Why American Ebola Survivor Got So Many Hugs
Hospital staff hugged Dr. Kent Brantly to show public he's not contagious.
— -- Hugging took center stage at Emory University Hospital today as officials announced that American Ebola patient Dr. Kent Brantly would be discharged after spending three weeks in the isolation ward.
Far from fearing that they would catch the deadly virus, dozens of hospital staff members wrapped their arms around Brantly and held onto him for several seconds before letting him move on to the next person. And that's exactly what experts say was needed to remind Americans that Ebola survivors are no threat to the general public.
"There was not a tentative hug in the group. They all went cheek-to-cheek," said Dr. William Schaffner, chair of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee. "It was exactly the right thing to do. It was wonderful."
How Ebola Survivors Have Fought the Stigma
Ebola Patient Dr. Kent Brantley Released from Emory Hospital
Dr. Richard Besser, ABC News chief health and medical editor, agreed.
"The image of Dr. Kent Brantly hugging the medical staff will do much more than words in dispelling fear of contagion in the community," Besser said.
Brantly was among two American aid workers who caught Ebola while working in Liberia. He and missionary Nancy Writebol were given doses of an experimental Ebola drug and flown to Emory earlier this month for supportive care.
Writebol was released on Tuesday. Brantly was discharged today.
"I will not forget you and all that you have done for me," Brantly said, turning behind him to look at a gaggle of medical staff members in scrubs and white coats.
Though more than half of the 2,473 people who've become ill with Ebola in West Africa since March have died, those that have survived have been shunned and feared.
But Schaffner said those who have recovered from the virus are not contagious. Though Ebola virus lingers in semen and vaginal fluid for a few extra weeks, survivors are not a threat to the general public.
Still, it may take more than words to convince the public of this, he said.
"I'm reminded of Princess Diana hugging HIV-infected children," Schaffner told ABC News. "That's what you need. You need other validating people to grasp Kent Brantly by the hand, say, 'Welcome home,' and then put their arms around him."
And that's just what they did.
When asked about the hugs during the press conference after Brantly left, Dr. Bruce Ribner, who oversees Emory's isolation unit, told reporters, "If the hugging translates that we don't think it's contagious, that's accurate."


text:
Architects: Turner
- Year: 2012
Photographs:Brett Boardman
From the architect.
The site, reclaimed and redefined as part of the Victoria Park brown field redevelopment precinct in Sydney, is long and thin. An island site. A 'tall' building holds the northern end of the site whilst the 'long' building follows the arc of Defries Avenue.
The 'tall' building is assembled as a series of stacked boxes. Taking advantage of the city views, internal living areas are pushed closer to the building edge. In response to the internal planning the boxes are stretched and pulled between levels and facades.
Whilst the 'tall' building is defined by the edge of Cooper Place, the sweeping arc of Defries Avenue defines the 'low' building.
To take advantage of the solar access, apartments are turned towards the north. Projecting bay windows, both single level and double height, allow apartment bedrooms to be closer to the external façade, further animating the building form.
At street level a mix of retail uses with a large covered terrace activates the base of the 'tall' building. The terrace area folds into the 'pocket park' between the two buildings. This interstitial space provides an entry forecourt to both buildings whilst the cantilever to the 'long' building heightens the drama of procession into the building. At the southern end a double height entry space with oversized piloti hold the corner of the building.
The 14-storey 'tall' building and 6-storey 'long' building of APEX comprise 153 apartments. A 400sqm rooftop garden terrace creates a park-like space with seating areas, shade trees, a BBQ deck and an outdoor cinema.


text:
Earrings - Jewelry
Earrings in Waldorf, MD
As perhaps the most visible piece of jewelry on the body, earrings are a fundamental part of a lady's collection. Generally being a staple that many women change daily, there's no such thing as too much, and we at Golden Renaissance Jewelers are happy to provide you with a plethora of styles to choose from. With designers like Ashi Diamonds and Gabriel & Co, we offer dazzling pieces that are great for both daily wear and special occasions.
For a luxuriously elegant set of earrings, look no further than Ashi's Diamond Silver Gemstone Earrings. With a gorgeously bright baby blue topaz in the center, the oval cut is surrounded by a silver filigree halo, with a collection of diamonds dispersed around the oval shape. Set in sterling silver, the blue topaz captures the light and creates a brilliant ice-like appearance as these drop earrings fall gracefully.
Of similar elegance is these Cushion Cut Green Amethyst earrings. Also, drop earrings, the base features a handle that highlights the center stone as a piece to be carried and seen. The softness of the green amethyst is encircled by a halo of ravishing single cut diamonds that pairs with the gemstone perfectly.
By Gabriel & Co, these 14K Yellow Gold Huggie Earrings are exquisite and the perfect playful addition to your collection. As they depart from the ear in three strands, they protrude out and curve inward creating a 3D crescent moon shape.
For added opulence, the center strand is studded with diamonds to give that moon shape the glitter it needs. Casual but still with an air of sophistication, these earrings are highly versatile.
For further drop, consider these Triangle Diamond Earrings by Ashi. Geometrically inspired, these earrings feature two triangles one above the other and connected at two seamless points. Hanging from the top equilateral triangle is an upside-down isosceles triangle, both beautifully covered in diamonds.
Set in 14K White Gold, the drop in these earrings is significant and provide the dramatics to be the statement piece you crave. Consider, perhaps, these Ashi Pearl Earrings in Sterling Silver for a more traditional look. With a slight dangle, these drop earrings feature an intricate curve reminiscent of a treble clef. As diamonds line the exterior, the twist of the silver strands opens up as it gets lower, cradling a delicate pearl as if it had just been unearthed. While still so simple, these earrings have the glamour that will dress up any outfit.
If a color is what you seek, Ashi offers a glorious set of drop earrings with a cluster of champagne brown diamond earrings in an effortless cushion cut. Around the stones is a diamond-shaped line of sterling silver that continues into teardrop-shaped extremities in all four points.
In between the four points are rose-colored swirls that pair perfectly with the brown of the diamond clusters. As the earring as a whole creates a diamond shape held by a teardrop at the base, the contrast of geometric patterns plays a pivotal role.


text:
Two-thirds of Jews surveyed in a European Union study believe that anti-Semitism is "a problem" where they live and three-quarters said they believed that anti-Jewish attitudes had increased in recent years.
The EU's Fundamental Rights Agency sampled opinion from 5,847 Jewish people in Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Sweden and the United Kingdom — which collectively are home to 90 percent of Europe's Jews.
Sixty-six percent of those surveyed said anti-Semitism is a problem and 76 percent believed anti-Semitism had increased over the past five years.
Nearly half (48 percent) of those surveyed in Hungary, 46 percent in France and 40 percent in Belgium said they had considered emigrating over safety concerns.
One in five said he had personally experienced an anti-Semitic verbal insult and/or physical attack.
"Perpetrators of the most serious incidents were described as 'being perceived as someone with Muslim extremist views, 27%, left-wing political views, 22%, or with right-wing views, 19%'.
"Respondents said the most frequent comments made by non-Jewish people in the UK were: 'Israelis behave 'like Nazis' towards the Palestinians' and 'Jews exploit Holocaust victimhood for their own purposes' (both 35%).
"In France 52% of the Jewish people surveyed described anti-Semitism as a 'very big problem' in their country, in Hungary the figure was 49%, while in the UK it was much less - 11%.
"The survey showed significant differences between Western and Eastern European countries.
"In Latvia, only 8% said the Israeli-Arab conflict had had a large impact on how safe they felt, but the figure rose to 28% for Germany and was as high as 73% in France."
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


text:
She Was an Employee for 12 Years – Then She Signed a Contract That Changed Her Career
A Women in Wide Format Award winner, Carmen Ruiz has found new opportunities to help others by becoming a franchisee.
Printvinyl Scored Print Media
New Printvinyl Scored wide-format print media features an easy-to-remove scored liner for creating decals, product stickers, packaging labels, and more. The precision-scored liner, with a 1.25" spacing on a 60" roll, guarantees a seamless and hassle-free removal process.
Press Releases1 month ago
Marybeth Shaw Receives Wallcoverings Industry's Highest Honor
Press Releases1 month ago
Epson Releases Latest Professional-Level Photographic Printer
Benchmarks2 months ago
3 Wide-Format Pros Who Overcame the Challenges of Outside Installations
Press Releases1 month ago
Canon USA Honored with 2023 ASTORS Homeland Security Awards
Press Releases1 month ago
PRINTING United Alliance Announces Groundbreaking New G7+
Press Releases1 month ago
Georgia's Label Converting Experts Invest in Durst Tau RSC Technology
Press Releases1 month ago
UPM Raflatac Launches New Graphics Solutions in North and South America
Press Releases1 month ago
ColorCasters and Mimaki USA Team Up To Deliver Confident Color Workshops In 2024


text:
Do Libertarians Belong at Sea?
The Seasteading Project floats through a second aquatic festival
Reason has delved recently into various arguments for where libertarians' political energies are best aimed, both in our August-September cover story (in which Brink Lindsey, Jonah Goldberg, and Matt Kibbe hash over the appropriateness of the modern right and Tea Party movement as a libertarian berth) and in my follow-up in which I suggested libertarians' educational mission still has a long way to go before meaningful political alliances are worth thinking hard about.
Some libertarians, though, are concerned with neither standard politics nor educational missions. The larger libertarian movement has always had members who just want to create as free a life for themselves as they can in a statist world, whether through such expedients as black market countereconomics, survivalist escapism, or, in the most recent and best publicized example of what is sometimes called "libertarian Zionism," heading for the high seas in artificial floating countries. That's the goal of the Seasteading Institute, which I profiled in Reason magazine back in July 2009.
The weekend before last, I attended what was essentially the second annual Ephemerisle festival, the attempt by the Seasteading Institute and its supporters to gather on the water in an atmosphere of fellowship and fun, and begin working out the theory and practice of unregulated aquatic living. (I wrote about my experiences at the first Ephemerisle for Reason Online last October.)
This year, the Seasteading Institute backed out of an official role in organizing or selling tickets to the festival when they found the costs of insuring it prohibitively expensive. (They did it sans insurance the first time, but decided it wasn't prudent to repeat that experiment. They are hoping to work out an affordable plan for next year's planned festival.) But a meeting place and time had already been decided on, and plans to have a get-together that weekend were already made, so what was called by different people at different times the "Floating Festival," (Un)Ephemerisle, and "Schmeschmemerisle" happened anyway, without any official imprimatur, out on the Sacramento River Delta.
This year, no communal floating platform space was provided, and without art grants from the organizers, very little in the way of originally created art was there. But the Seasteading folk helped finance the purchase of a barge to be recommissioned into a multipurpose living and showboat by Chicken John Rinaldi, the San Francisco showman and builder (and former mayoral candidate) who had designed and supervised the building of the communal platform for Ephemerisle last year.
Getting that boat sealed, refinished, and functional took a handful of people three weeks of work. I joined the crew at a berth in Bethel Island Friday afternoon for the final frantic 24 hours of painting and decorating, wiring, installing the Mercedes engine that hung off the stern of the boat to propel it, extending the hull back up a bit to replace the parts that had to be cut away to hang the engine (carpenter Marc Roper treaded water for hours doing the woodwork from the outside), and finally sailing it slowly to rendezvous with the rest of the Seasteaders, who had all rented houseboats from a nearby marina. (One intrepid fellow who flew in from England repurposed bits of a homemade floating platform from last year, making it the only non-bought floatation solution at this year's event.)
Anton Berteaux, the main engineer on the project, described the propulsion: "It's a five cylinder turbo diesel engine from an early 80s Mercedes 300td. We are using the automatic transmission that it came with, with a long structure sticking off the back to support the driveshaft with the propeller on the end of solid stainless shaft off the end of that. It sits on a '5th wheel' trailer hitch, which is a miniature version of the hitch on a semi truck, which has a swiveling table that catches a pin that allows rotation." Steering it tightly was the work of three men, one standing between the two long handles, and one on either end pushing or pulling. (For less severe maneuvering, one strong and tireless man would do.)
The trip was adventurous, and certainly helped explain why renting a ready-made solution like a houseboat was preferable to the DIY model; if Ephemerisle teaches you anything about seasteading, it teaches you that trying to create fresh solutions to the problem of moving and living on the water is really time-consuming and difficult. The ship, dubbed The Relentless, hit a pylon under a bridge about 10 minutes in, gashing a two-foot slice in its hull, luckily well above the waterline, and dashing helmsman Jimmy Cross to the deck. At one point during the seven hour trip out to the festival, the engine was inoperable, we were stuck in the reeds, taking on water, and on fire. (It was a small and easily managed fire, luckily.)
We eventually arrived to find the row of other anchored houseboats after midnight on Saturday, and performed our showboat function with a trapeze performance by Miriam Telles off a post carpentered to the deck at the very last possible minute, and a musical performance by Jason Webley. The warm darkness, suffused with a full moon; the water's mysterious and constant shifting and lapping; haunting expressions of human skill and storytelling: It was glorious, it was fun, and it was not political.
The rest of the entertainment was wandering from houseboat to houseboat meeting and greeting; giving or listening to mini lectures on the "Memocracy" houseboat; taking trips out on the water in speedboats or homemade catamarans (on one of which I received a sailing lesson from a man I was later told was intrepid long-distance homemade sailor Tim Anderson), and conversing. Nearly every conversation I overheard or joined seemed connected to the worlds from which most Seasteaders seem to derive: computers, high-tech geekery, futurism, and of course libertarianism. I overheard speculations about how to more efficiently create interesting video games, robot fisherman, and the like. Matt Bell, who hosted the lecture series, identified the topic range as including "life extension, telepresence robotics, education, human rights, social networks, and seasteading."
That a cancelled event managed to attract as many people as the official one the year before—around 120—is encouraging about the passion and attraction people have to the idea of Seasteading; but that's still many long steps away from actual floating polities in the sea. Seasteading Director of Operations James Hogan says he thinks about two-thirds of the attendees this year were attending their first Seasteading-related event.
Like last year, frays in the social fabric arise when the libertarian minded are forced into a situation that requires some communal decisionmaking and behavior. This year's hubbub arose when a late-arriving houseboat was initially set up in front of another boat rather than joining the line, temporarily angering the folk whose view was suddenly marred. (The offending boat eventually joined the rest in line.) Unlike the first Ephemerisle, in which the whole community was essentially tied to shore, this year the line of houseboats succeeded in anchoring themselves in deeper water, though they eventually had to cut loose three anchors when they couldn't raise them successfully in time to return the houseboats before another day's rental would kick in.
After the event, I asked Seasteading's chief, Patri Friedman, to assess the state of Seasteading. He confessed that they had had a rough year so far; he's burning himself out fundraising, and the cancellation of the official Ephemerisle weighs on him. But he's excited that they are on the verge of hiring a director of engineering to work on the technical problems of maintaining a permanent structure on the ocean. They are now leaning more toward using existing ships as a base for what they are now calling "the Poseidon Project," the first actual functioning international water seastead, rather than building one from a new platform design. Peter Thiel, the Paypal co-founder who has been Seasteading's primary financier, has offered a matching grant of $250,000 this year, and they have already gathered 60 percent of that. What's one thing Friedman has learned about what are not rich sources of Seastead donations? "Libertarian conferences, and students, are not good for fundraising. They are fun groups to talk to, they like me and I like them, but…" Friedman hopes to move Seasteading into the position to get more funding from varied foundations, both libertarian and ones dedicated to social entrepreneurship in general.
The Seasteading Institute has added a new director for commercial development, Max Marty, a fresh MBA from Miami who discovered Seasteading at a Singularity conference and then later at a meal found himself expressing his excitement about it to a stranger who turned out to be James Hogan. Marty was impressed, at his first water festival, at the joyous camaraderie and excitement it generated. He also realized that having the inner circle of Seasteaders brainstorm about business ideas appropriate for a Seastead isn't good enough, so in a crowdsourcing fashion they've launched a contest with $5,000 in prizes to come up with viable business plans especially appropriate for one.
The floating ocean platform that is, alas, now most familiar to the world is the Deepwater Horizon; Marty thinks the BP disaster could end up as a boon to the larger idea of permanent seasteads, predicting that one dedicated to environmental science, sustainability, and research might be a good idea for extraction industries to fund themselves given their current P.R. troubles.
Despite the framing of the Seasteading project by the likes of Alternet as motivated entirely by a venal and cowardly desire to escape the real business of civilization (after destroying it with their capitalism, natch), Seasteading's Hogan reminds me that the project has the potential to do more than provide a refuge for libertarian malcontents.
The very existence of seasteading, goes the theory that animates Friedman and his colleagues, will add a new competitive element to governance on Earth and make, ideally, the whole world a better place. "I don't want to live on a Seastead," Hogan says. "Maybe when there are several million people living on one, with all the amenities of a modern city. My inspiration and excitement about the project is to make the governance market more competitive and affect all societies most profoundly. This is a deep way to try to leverage social good on global scale, to get down to the incentives that give rise to governmental systems and introduce more profound competition."
"We don't want to just change a political system," Hogan says. "We want to change the industry of governance itself that gives rise to political systems. Seasteading will lower barriers to entry [in governance] and reduce the cost of customer switching." If it works, the effect will be as salubrious in terms of customer satisfaction as the ability to enter and switch is in any other industry. In escaping normal civilization, libertarians could find out that their true place is bringing to politics the key benefit of free markets: wider and freer competition and the quality that comes with it.
Senior Editor Brian Doherty is author of This is Burning Man (BenBella), Radicals for Capitalism (PublicAffairs) and Gun Control on Trial (Cato Institute).


text:
Metropolitan International Kicks Off with Adams Simul |
August 17, 2011 | |
The Metropolitan International (August 17-21) begins tonight at 7:30 PM EST in Los Angeles. On Tuesday, the tournament's top seed English GM Michael Adams gave a 20 board simul. The average rating of the participants was about 2000. Adams scored 14 wins, 1 loss to Dean Arvidson and five draws with NM Samuel Sevain, NM Kayden Troff, Varun Krishnan, Agata Bykovtsev and Larry S. Smith. There was also a pre-tournament dinner celebration with several of the top players. See a preview video of the event from Ice Hat Creative, which includes interviews with Adams, GM Loek Van Wely, local GM Melikset Khachiyan and USCF's Organizer of the Year Ankit Gupta. 1st Metropolitan International Chess Tournament Preview from Ice Hat Creative on Vimeo. Find more information on the official website and look for further updates on CLO. |


text:
13 February 2012 | ||
16:00 | to | 18:00 |
A funny afternoon with hot chocolate cakes and sweets in the magnificent lounge of the Hotel Daniel. Our Master of Dance will teach to the guests the basic steps of "Cotillion", involving all into the mysteries of this graceful and ceremonious period dance. The guests will also enjoy other lively and spirited dances like minuets, quadrilles, cotillons.
Dress Code: costume.
If you need a costume, you can rent it at the Atelier Tiepolo at the first floor in the Danieli Hotel. To book the event or for more information, please visit www.meetingeurope.com .


text:
Ohio Governor's Approval Rating Is High
< < Back toA recent poll finds Gov. John Kasich's job approval has hit its highest rating since he took office in 2011.
The poll released Tuesday by Quinnipiac University in Connecticut shows 54 percent of Ohioans favor the Republican governor's actions while 32 percent disapprove of his performance.
The poll taken over last weekend also finds that 49 percent of Ohioans say Kasich deserves to be re-elected.
The poll says Kasich currently leads Cuyahoga County Executive Ed Fitzgerald, a leading Democratic opponent in the 2014 gubernatorial race, by a 47-33 margin.
The survey of 941 Ohio voters has a margin of error of 3.2 percentage points.
Kasich's approval rating a year ago was under 40 percent.


text:
Answer: How many have you done in the past year?
If the doctor says 37 or more, you should be in very good hands.
Reference: Freeman JV, Wang Y, Curtis JP, Heidenreich PA, Hlatky, MA. "Physician Procedure Volume and Complications of Cardioverter-Defibrillator Implantation." Circulation 2011.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
2 comments:
- Named Just Bob said...
Now you tell me. The good news is that you probably do that many in a month. With your eyes closed. And one hand tied behind your back. Glad I found you!
- Tue Nov 29, 02:56:00 PM CST
- DrWes said...
I just accidentally deleted another great comment that read:
"Best question to ask: do I really need this?"
(Well said and sorry about the accidental deletion of your comment. FYI, iPhones have small buttons and the "delete" button for comment moderation sits right next to "publish.") - Tue Nov 29, 04:37:00 PM CST
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)


text:
0 Items In Cart
Subtotal: $0.00
Size 3 zippers with with nylon coil teeth and polyester tape. Made by Lampo in Italy. Good for pants and skirt zippers set in a lapped style. 13" long. The teeth are about 4.1mm wide (~1/2") when closed, and the tape has about 25mm (1") total width.
*These zippers are discontinued. What we have in stock is all we have. They are not returnable.*
Orders placed before 2pm on a weekday will be shipped the same day. Orders placed after 2pm will shipped on the following business day, excluding holidays.
Materials sold by the yard are not returnable. All other items can be returned in original condition within 30 days for a full refund of the cost of the item. Shipping costs are not refundable and buyers must pay return shipping costs.
For more information see the Returns & Shipping page.
The color of the items you receive may vary slightly from the way they appear here. We strive to present images whose colors match the actual items as much as possible, however, colors are affected by the settings of the monitor they're viewed on, so differences are unavoidable in some cases. There may also be differences in dye lots or finishes. *Some items with the same color name may be in different dye lots across items, so please purchase a small quantity first or check with us for more info.*
For accurate color matching, see the info on our Terms & Conditions page.


text:
The 19th annual Palm Beach International Film Festival opened last night and runs through April 10 at four Palm Beach County theaters. Tickets run $10.50 per screening, and the lineup is eclectic as always. Here's a look at three the films I had a chance to view in advance. For the complete lineup and to purchase tickets, visit pbifilmfest.org.
Fiction may or may not be more authentic than the truth in "Girl on the Train," a heady, slippery and thoroughly entertaining neo-noir from the low-budget thriller director Larry Brand. Henry Ian Cusick, of "Lost," plays Danny, a filmmaker whose video camera is like a fifth appendage. He catches a glimpse of an attractive young woman (Nicki Aycox) crying on a train, and strikes up a conversation that will lead, we soon learn, to a bandaged hand and a police station, where he's being interrogated by a perceptive detective (Stephen Lang, of "Avatar"). Brand's screenplay jumps back and forth from his encounters with the woman—who is named Lexi, and who reappears all too conveniently in Danny's life, with an offer he can't, or won't, refuse—and the present police investigation. Some of Brand's dialogue sounds too perfect, too loaded with hidden meaning, to feel real; but then again, so did the screenplays of most of the great films by Hitchcock, whose preoccupation with the mystery and romance of train travel Brand shares.
But the film's structure is sound and always compelling, with enough twists to surprise us and not so many that the narrative would crumble under a mountain of implausible revelations. Its balance is just right. Brand is especially deft at peppering "Girl on the Train" with omens, coincidences and unlikely synchronicities, which keep both Danny and us on our toes; of particular interest is the film Danny is making while he's busy becoming Play-Doh for Lexi. It's a documentary about a Holocaust survivor who shares his story about receiving a Christian icon from a mysterious girl on a train, in a chance meeting that forever changes his life. It's a wonderful subplot in its own right, while saving a brilliant punch line for the end. "Girl on a Train" is not without occasional pretentions, but it successfully invigorates a familiar genre with surprisingly weighty philosophical detours that contrast, as Danny puts it, the "purity of imagination" versus "the spectacle of flesh and sorrow."
"The Girl on the Train" screens at 6:45 p.m. April 8 at Muvico Parisian in West Palm Beach.
"Mary Loss of Soul," the debut feature from writer-director Jennifer B. White, is a leisurely supernatural thriller that doesn't begin to discover its identity until the climactic scenes. During a vacation at her family's lake house, normally cheerful 15-year-old Mary Solis (Kaylee Bryant), an aspiring dancer and ornithologist, disappears for several hours. When she turns up, she had no memory of the lost time, and she appears clinically depressed. "I don't know" is her answer to everything, and her mopey demeanor is, frankly, not unlike a lot of lethargic adolescents. Alas, traditional medicine doesn't work, and, after an apparition that looks like Mary begins haunting their home, her mother Gina (Catherine Black) decides to look into alternative healing methods, like shamanism and soul retrieval.
The movie's ideas sound promising, but the execution is meandering and shapeless. The opening scenes feel so much like a sitcom that many of the lines seem tailored for laugh tracks, and then it switches gears toward dewy-eyed sentimentality. The movie takes an awfully long time to negotiate its horror-movie intentions, and when paranormal activity does strike the Solis household, the special effects are so crude that it often comes across as comedic self-parody.
Despite an overreliance on softening fades to transition scenes—where cuts would be more immediate—the movie's structure still lurch awkwardly from one scene to the next, and it doesn't gain syntactical fluidity until the end. Add to this the overblown performance of the father (Jose Zuniga), psychiatrists who don't act like psychiatrists, cops who don't act like cops, and a mawkish score poured like syrup over the action, and you've got a film that doesn't exist in any recognizable reality—not this side or the Other.
"Mary Loss of Soul" screens at 6:45 p.m. Saturday at Muvico Parisian 20 at CityPlace.
Saving the best for last—at least of the three films I had a chance to see—"Natan" is an illuminating documentary that should appeal equally to cineastes and Jewish activists, because both groups will find it enraging and heartbreaking. Told with a mix of newly written voice-overs, interviews in French and English, and haunting visuals both archival and newly constructed, the movie charts the rise and fall of Bernard Natan, a disgraced footnote in French cinema history who, the directors of this film argue, deserves a theoretical retrial.
A Romanian Jew who emigrated to France just as Georges Melies' science-fiction spectaculars were being recognized globally, Natan helped make France's movie industry the envy of the cinematic world. A producer of boundless ambition, he soon acquired the legendary movie studio Pathe, where he helped bring sound and color to the burgeoning industry. He experimented with widescreen photography decades before its formal development in 1950s Hollywood, and, back in 1924, he even created the first "bonus feature"—a behind-the-scenes look at the making of a silent film, more than 70 years before the invention of the DVD.
But soon enough, his Jewish background resurfaced (he was born Natan Tannenzaft). It wasn't long before charges of fraud (which this film's directors, Paul Duane and David Cairns, dismiss) and a fascist propaganda campaign led to his denaturalization from France and ultimately his deportation to Auschwitz, and you can fill in the rest of his abbreviated biography.
Yet after his death, thanks to the help of film restoration, the Bernard Natan story got weirder, with the 1996 accusation that Natan acted in, and directed, the earliest pornographic films in history, which were uncredited. While Duane and Cairns are undoubtedly in Natan's camp throughout this movie, they're more equivocal on this point, presenting side-by-side footage of Natan with the proto-porn actor in question. The similarities are sometimes jarring, other times ludicrous. We may never know the truth, but even if he was a pornographer, nobody could argue that his punishment fit the "crime," and that's the tragic rub of the man's story. "Natan" runs just 65 minutes, but the film is outsized in its poignancy and pathos.
"Natan" screens at 3 p.m. Sunday at Cinemark Paradise in Boca Raton, and then on noon April 8 at Cinemark Paradise.


text:
WHO: The Group of Eight is made up of the leaders of the United States, Japan, Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Canada and Russia. The Kremlin won't be represented at the Camp David meetings Friday and Saturday by President Vladimir Putin, who is sending his predecessor, Dmitry Medvedev, the current prime minister. President Barack Obama has invited four African leaders — Presidents Yayi Boni of Benin, John Atta Mills of Ghana and Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania, and Prime Minister Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia — to join food security talks. France and Britain have suggested adding the developing economies of Brazil, China, India, Mexico, and South Africa.
WHAT: The meetings began in 1975 at a forum instigated by France, where leaders of the six largest economic powers (the G-6) agreed to annual meetings. Canada joined a year later, making it the G-7. Russian was brought into the organization in 1997, six years after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The European Union is represented but is not granted the power to act as host of the annual sessions or to serve as the rotating leader.
WHY: The leaders deal with global issues such as expanding democracy, fighting corruption, debating climate change issues and making commitments to aid developing nations. This year a major point of discussion is the economic and political crisis gripping Europe. The agenda also includes the Arab Spring in the Middle East and North Africa region, where the United States wants to focus on open trade and investment as well as anti-corruption efforts, promoting democracy and the rule of law and expanding education.
WHERE and WHEN: Friday and Saturday at the presidential retreat at Camp David. Obama, who holds the chairmanship this year, moved the meetings to the Catoctin Mountains get-away in north-central Maryland. It was set for Chicago, right before a summit of members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The administration said Obama made the change to provide a more intimate atmosphere and to accommodate Putin, whose country is not a NATO member. The administration denied speculation that the sessions were moved for security reasons. Past G-8 meetings have seen large and sometimes violent protests by activists opposed to the increasing globalization of world economies. Street violence overshadowed the 2001 summit in Genoa, Italy. Critics have accused the G-8 of representing the interests of an elite group of industrialized nations to the detriment of the needs of the wider world. Since Genoa, the meetings have been held in increasingly isolated locations to shield leaders from protests, playing into criticism of the G-8's closed-door image.